The invention relates to an apparatus for unwinding wire, especially metallic wire, from stationary reels. One known apparatus for unwinding wire from stationary reels usually includes two tubular elements, partially cylindrical and partially frusto-conical, each of which has a longitudinal slot. The two elements are joined in their conical regions along the edges of their respective longitudinal slots. A reel of wire is placed centrally in each of two cylindrical regions of this unwinding apparatus. The end of the wire on the outer layer of wire of one of the reels is pulled out through an opening at the tip of the frusto-conical portion of the apparatus and the other end of the wire of the same level is soldered to the end of the wire on the outer layer of wire of the second reel. The longitudinal slot of the cylindro-frusto-conical elements permits the wire to pass from one reel to the other.
When the wire is being unwound at great speed, it is propelled against the interior wall of the apparatus. Each point in the wire passes the longitudinal slots at least once and has a tendency to penetrate therein since the shielding and guiding surface provided by the tubular elements has a discontinuity at this location. The repeated encounters between the wire and the edges of the longitudinal slots resemble a repetitive hammering and result in a more or less serious deterioration of the characteristics of the wire, especially of its flexibility.